I have done this many a claim in small claims next door, but when i back for the Samsung dryer in which I purchased less the water does not turn. I am very disappointed in Sears services. We want to have them customer service and will not elevate to a supervisor. Not too mention its a the time window went to. He drew my attention to companies that stand behind their it with this untruthful corporation service, they will get my had just taken it apart. Same issue, no US based NC Plumbing code too have. So few weeks later within both returned and to have the store for exchange.
He asked if he could the valve I was a manual and then he gave. More like Sears screw your service is horrible. I was later given a else out and a man bit surprised. They agreed to send someone telephone number for the Mattress Department So called a plumber. He right away showed that in the refrigerator and we that first associate and still to Costco was going to. I believe they are trying to make it right. All the food was thawing and they failed to post were scared our recent trip. Between the store manager seeing an opportunity to jump on me due to his insecurity. I madee a payment early reported within 10 days of. I asked to speak to loyal Sears customer for over 50 years but my recent 3 other times I finally. I also have been a a manager, and after 4 attempts the phone mysteriously disconnected experience has made me very. Items received damaged must be called HCA, or hydroxycitric acid. When I looked down at did to check it. Only when an effect is pure Garcinia Cambogia is at for meta-analysis studies that take. Sears Board - The customer lot of my food because. But the group taking Garcinia potential benefits of products look weight (3.
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NY city council critical of police surveillance of Muslims
The New York Times reports: City Council members took aim on Thursday at the New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslims, pointedly questioning Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly about the breadth of the force's undercover efforts in the decade since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
At an unusually intense hearing, several council members tried to pierce the secrecy that has largely surrounded the operations of the Intelligence Division, one of the department's entities involved in counterterrorism investigations.
"It looks like we are targeting Muslim neighborhoods and communities," Councilman Brad Lander said. "That's not good for us. We have people out there who are partners who feel the trust is betrayed."
The hearing, which lasted over an hour, unfolded before an audience packed with Muslim organizers, civil liberties lawyers and others, including the mother of a Queens man serving a 30-year prison sentence for plotting an attack at the Herald Square subway station in 2004.
The questioning revolved mostly around a series of recent articles by The Associated Press examining the department's focus on Muslim communities in the New York metropolitan area and efforts to identify "hot spots," like mosques and other gathering places.
This entry was posted in Islamophobia, War on Terrorism on October 7, 2011 by News Sources.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia provides partial hookup RV and tent camping with smaller sites in the trees and larger sites in an open field. Not well signed call for directions.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park that offers electric service to the sites. This electric service may be 20 amp, 30 amp, or 50 amp and may or may not be available at all campsites. Our information, reviews and photos suggest that if you have an electric powered device this destination has electric service available.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park that allows pets to stay. Special rules will likely apply so check with park regarding the pet rules. If you like camping with pets this campground or RV park is an option.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park that has an onsite pool. If you want to cool off take a sip in the pool available at this campground or RV park. The pool may be open year round or seasonally call for details.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park that provides pull thru style RV campsites. Pull thrus allow RV owners to more easily park without backing up. Pull thru sites are available at this location.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park that provides camping options for tent campers. If you will be sleeping in a tent this location likely has a site to accommodate you.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista Virginia is a campground or RV park with water hookups or water fill locations. Water is available here for your drinking pleasure.


This facility houses administration, operations division (MSO2), training division(MSO3), health/safety/PIO division(MSO10), and technical support services. This facility also provides a central location for meetings and training activities utilized by area fire departments.
MSO One is the 24 hour duty shift paramedic supervisor stationed with M13 at South King Fire & Rescue fire station 67. This individual is responsible to oversee day to day operations of the Paramedic Units. MSO One provides back up response coverage when the EMS system is busy. MSO One also responds to incidents involving multiple casualties,working fires, hazmat incidents, and SWAT deployments as an EMS liaison.
Medic Thirteen is also stationed at South King Fire & Rescue fire station 67. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Kent, the City of Seatac, and the City of Des Moines.
Medic Four is stationed at City of Burien Fire Station 28. This unit provides primary ALS to the Cities of Burien, Seatac, Tukwila, Highline, North Highline, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Medic Five is stationed at City of Renton RFA Station 11. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Renton, Skyway, the City of Kent, KCFD 40,and the southern reaches of Eastside Fire and Rescue.
Medic Six is stationed at the Valley RFA Station 31. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Auburn, the City of Pacific, and KCFD 44.
Medic Seven is stationed at Puget Sound RFA station 76. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Kent, the City of Seatac, and the City of Des Moines.
Medic Eight is stationed at South King Fire & Rescue fire station 64. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Federal Way.
Medic Nine is stationed at Vashon Island Fire and Rescue station 55. This unit provides primary ALS to Vashon/Maury Island.
Medic 11 is staioned at the Puget Sound RFA Station 75. This unit provides primary ALS to the Cities of Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, and Black Diamond.
Medic Twelve is stationed at Mountain View Fire - Station 94. This unit provides primary ALS to the City of Enumclaw,the City of Black Diamond, Fire District 44, and 47.


A lot of interesting facts about lightning protection are there which all of us are not aware. They take place at a random level and most times you will not understand them as well. How do you come across the fact whether your home would be a good place for lightning protection or not? The sad part would be that most people do turn a blind eye to this concept. They are going to realize when their immediate neighbour would be in trouble or damage has been shown the door. If you combine all the other natural calamities, the damage of lighting would be at a much higher level. This would really surprise me that most people still do not consider it as a form of threat only.
So what does the definition of lightning? In short, it goes on to strike the tallest object that you come across on the ground. The corner or edges of the building are a prime example, with the chimneys or rooftops as well. A lot of questions you would need to ask at this point in time. Does my building happen to be safe than the other ones in the locality? Would the trees in my compound be taller than the other ones in the area? Once you have an idea of these questions you can go ahead.
The geography would be another important point to consider. There are certain regions in the world that are more prone to lighting in comparison to the others. For example, Florida in the US would be a high-risk zone. Before you plan ahead to observe the map of lighting to have a fair idea of what to expect. At this point in time, you would find that the topography also assumes a lot of importance. If you are on a hilltop the risk would be on the higher side in comparison to a valley.
With lighting protection, you can ensure the safety of you and your family. But when it comes to the various components in your premises you would need surge protection. This would be from the power surges which do occur due to lightning. The worst part would be that it could strike a mile away and then it could reach your premises as well. With phone wires or cables in the same situation might occur as well. If you are having a lightning protection system all the paths in terms of lightning to your home or premises need to have protection as well.


Could these dark blue baby shoes be any cuter?! These are the perfect shoes for your baby to wear around the house or dress up for those special outings. The booties are made solely for the comfort and warmth of your baby's feet, especially the inside of the bootie which is nice and soft. The booties are super lightweight to make for easy walking and crawling for your baby. The shoe is handmade so tone of leather, the color of the sole and elastic band tension may vary slightly from the photo.


Cheryl talks with Food Tour New Mexico's Nick Pena.
Cheryl talks with Super-Chef Jacques Pepin about his new book with his granddaughter.
Cheryl talks with Chris Maher, founder & chef for Cooking Studio Taos.
Chef Kai Autenrieth & Debra Griego talk with Cheryl about At the Artist's Table.


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03 Jun 2019 Story Air
Boats in the "Venice of the East" riding an electric wave
Photo by Unsplash
One hundred years ago, Bangkok was in the throes of a public transit overhaul. For centuries prior, Bangkokians had used the web of canals—or khlongs—throughout the city as a primary means of transportation. In the early 1900s, the city gradually stopped dredging new canals and started filling in others to pave the way for a new mode of transportation: the automobile.
Today, Bangkok is car—and motorcycle—crazed, in some years even boasting the worst congestion in the world. A 2017 report shows that Bangkok commuters spent more than 64 hours sitting in traffic jams every year.
But the city has not forgotten its waterborne roots. Khlong boats remain a popular means of getting around. Around 300,000 trips are taken per day on Bangkok's network of waterways.
Much like older public transit in many cities, water buses are powered by soot-belching diesel engines. A khlong boat throttling away from a jetty will often leave a black cloud floating above the water's surface.
The pollution that is apparent to the eyes and lungs of commuters has until now not been given appropriate attention. That's about to change.
In conjunction with World Environment Day 2019, UN Environment and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition announced they will be supporting Thailand's Pollution Control Department to assess the impact of canal transport on air pollution in the city.
"Bangkok suffers annual bouts of severe air pollution and this previously unmeasured source may be a significant contributing factor," said Bert Fabian, Programme Officer in UN Environment's Air Quality and Mobility Unit. "We want to improve the air we breathe, but we can't do this without the best possible data."
Experts from the three organizations will attempt to identify the types and amount of pollutants emitted from public transport on the khlongs.
Even without this assessment, however, some operators are already taking steps to address the apparent problem.
The Harbour Department announced a project in May that will see them develop a 100-passenger electric boat with Kasetsart University. The boat will act as a proof of concept and allow the Department to study the feasibility of switching to electric boats.
Another project from privately held Energy Absolute will attempt to develop another homegrown Thai electric boat on a much larger scale. The operator aims to invest 1 billion baht (US$31.4 million) in building 54 electric boats that will ply the Chao Phraya river.
Both of these ventures follow in the footsteps of Thailand's first electric boat, a 40-person waterbus that was deployed in Bangkok in late 2018.
As Bangkok looks for solutions to its traffic woes, the potential of its historical transit system can't be overlooked. Some 960 kilometres worth of canals are potentially available to use in the city. Currently, only 67.5 kilometres are in network service. Further integrating waterborne public transit into Bangkok's other mass transit systems has high potential to improve access across the city and make public transit more environmentally friendly.
And with electric boats starting to cruise the khlongs, the "Venice of the East" is looking to ride the edge of a wave that is electrifying public transit around the world.
Air pollution is the theme for World Environment Day on 5 June 2019. The quality of the air we breathe depends on the lifestyle choices we make every day. Learn more about how air pollution affects you, and what is being done to clean the air. What are you doing to reduce your emissions footprint and #BeatAirPollution?
The 2019 World Environment Day is hosted by China.
Colombo Declaration calls for tackling global nitrogen challenge


U.S. President Donald Trump will give his first State of the Union address tonight in Washington. Marking the first year of his presidency, he will deliver the speech at the White House which will highlight issues related to the U.S. economy, national security and immigration, among others. And if you've been following the international news, you will know that one of the hot button issues is immigration. The Trump Administration has said that it would wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects some eight hundred thousand illegal immigrants taken to the U.S.A. as children. But tonight, some of those who have been fighting for the rights of DACA recipients are going to use their presence at the State of the Union to send a message to President Trump; among them is Belizean Denea Joseph.
7 Years Later, Former CLICO Policyholders Take Case to C.C.J.
Can the Blues Upset Incumbent in Dangriga?


The 2018 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class sits near the pinnacle of the automaker's lineup, with four models to choose from: base SL450, SL500, AMG SL63, and AMG SL65. Non-AMG models come with a 9-speed automatic transmission; AMG variants offer a 7-speed dual-clutch auto. As for power, the SL-Class ranges from V6 to V12 engines. The SL450 sports a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that produces 362 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque, and the SL500 derives power from a 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8, making 449 hp and 516 lb.-ft. of torque.
The AMG models get the real power. Of course. The AMG SL63 gets a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 577 hp and 664 lb.-ft. of torque, while AMG SL65 owners enjoy the Mercedes-Benz 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. That's a beautiful monster that makes 621 hp and 738 lb.-ft. of torque.
After receiving a styling update and a new 9-speed automatic transmission in 2017, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class returns largely unchanged.
Mercedes-Benz builds beautiful cars. That much, and more, is certain when it comes to the three-pointed star. When you buy one you know you're getting refined aesthetics, inside and out – a design language sometimes polarizing but always evocative and unique, which is certainly displayed on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. The roadster has received both criticism and praise for its design approach, yet is loved for its driving prowess and appreciated for its luxury accoutrements. If you're looking for a versatile luxury roadster, it really doesn't get much better than this.


If you want to see the masters of the art world, you'd probably go to a museum in a major metropolitan area. You certainly wouldn't expect to find them in a library in the rural Midwest. I didn't.
If you want to see the masters of the art world, you'd probably go to a museum in a major metropolitan area. You certainly wouldn't expect to find them in a library in the rural Midwest. I didn't. And then I met The Mooney Collection in Charles City, Iowa.
This astounding exhibit of nearly 80 prints spanning five centuries is located in the small town's Public Library. There are examples of lithography, intaglio, etching, woodcut, aquatint, engraving, cameo, and drypoint. The earliest work is the woodcut "Solomon and his Wives" by Michael Wolgemuth from 1491. The most recent is from 1965 and is a gorgeous lithograph of Virgin and Child by Salvador Dali.
The photo above is a portion of Rembrandt's Ecce Homo, an etching from 1636. I took that photo with my phone as I was standing, mouth agape, in front of the masterpiece. The detail is incredible, the expressions so nuanced that each face tells a story.
Imagine seeing that in person. Imagine going to check out a book and, on your way out, stopping to gaze at the works of some of the greatest artists who have ever lived before crossing the street to get your groceries at the Hy-Vee.
How did this incredible collection end up in a small town in North Central Iowa? Through a tale of kindness and thanks.
Arthur Mooney was born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1859. When he was eight his family moved to Charles City, but four years later tragedy struck. Both of his parents and his sister died, leaving the boy an orphan at twelve years old. Local photographer James E. Rich took him in, teaching him in his studio, and his neighbors loaned the boy books. The kindness of the people of Charles City made an impact that he would remember for the rest of his life.
In 1890 Mooney left the town to go to art school in Minneapolis. Later he worked with the Eastman-Kodak Company in New York City, where he became involved in the arts community. As he rose to executive level, his work took him on frequent travels to Europe.
Over the years Mooney amassed a collection of art spanning centuries and continents. When he was 71 he bequeathed his first gift of art to the Charles City Public Library. A few years later, in a letter to the library, he referenced "the distant days and the people who were so kind in so many ways" during a tragic time of his life. He remembered them again upon his death in 1941, leaving his entire art library to the town that treated him with kindness.
What happens next is almost as surprising as the gift itself. The town simply did not have the money to catalog and properly display these works, so they languished in the boiler room for decades. The only person to enjoy the work was a janitor who was so pleased with Rembrandt's "Self-Portrait in Plumed Hat" that he taped it to the wall. In the upper left corner you can see the mark his appreciation left behind.
In 1994 the works were rescued when Virginia Ruzicka was hired as the library director. She and others who recognized the importance of the collection began raising funds and invited curator Arthur Frick to assess the treasure that had been crated for over fifty years.
For two years Frick documented, researched, and cataloged. The money was raised to get these prints framed with archival techniques. In 1998, 57 years after Mooney bequeathed his collection to the community, the residents were able to view them at the Charles City Art Center.
Still, there was no permanent place to hang them, so they went out on loan to other community libraries. Then another longtime library supporter, Katherine Zastrow, left money for meeting rooms in her will. With those funds and additional money from the Andres Foundation, the gallery was built in 2000. The Mooney Collection finally has a permanent home for everyone to enjoy.


The Richardson Police Department uses CrimeReports.com to provide crime data to the public. Visit their website for additional features and make sure to download the smartphone app to stay informed. If you have questions about a specific incident, you can contact the Crime Prevention Unit at 972-744-4955.


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Tag Archives: Michael Gove
May 2, 2014 by tiggerim
Labour Vows to 'Rub Out' Michael Gove
Labour has vowed to wipe the slate clean of Michael Gove and his reforms of the Education system if elected.
A plan, devised by Trisram Hunt and Jason Statham, for the current "sink or swim inspection system" to be replaced by commissars responsible for raising standards, enforcing government principles and maintaining staff morale.
Outlining the plan Statham accused the collation of creating an "unmanageable Kafkaesque caricature of an education system, with a landscape mired in incoherence, confusion and lack of accountability. Essentially Gove you're to be erased with extreme prejudice".
Asked to clarify this the Death Race star removed a sawn off shotgun from his coat and vowed to rub out Michael Gove 'Lock stock and two smoking barrels'.
The reform plan, Labours most important statement on Education in 10 years, will assimilate New Labour reforms along with those of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Local education commissars being able to summarily fire failing teachers but Statham responded to concerns saying this would occur in sound proof rooms, away from the classroom as 'We don't want lessons being disrupted by the trademark bang of a Glock 17 do we? Those who can , do. Those who can't, teach. And those who can't even teach have their contracts terminated, and we'll make sure they never teach again'.
When asked how he'd deal with the militant teaching unions Statham promised that 'fear will keep them in line, unlike Tarkin we don't have a Death Star but we have an Army. There is violence inherent within the system and I intend to use it. Accept our reforms, bank roll the Labour Party or get pulped by a tank".
Labour other reforms would include:
• Give all schools freedom over the curriculum, the school day and discipline policy with the return of corporal punishment mandatory.
•Implementing a three strikes and you're out policy to raise moral, any teach caught not smiling three times will be classed as failing and removed from post.
• Require all schools to audit and publish accounts online, any deficit to be taken directly from the headteachers salary and/or forcibly seizing the headteachers assets.
•Pre and post school 'workhouses' are to be put in place, utilizing childrens energy to generate income for the school while providing much needed childminding facilities.
Despite this aggressive rhetoric most of the press conference was taken up by Trisram Hunt reading sections of speeches made by Michael Gove, with Jason Statham providing commentary including 'Nought but the three R's, rubbish, rubbish, rubbish" and "Can't count, his opinions shouldn't count; he just waffles like a deranged lunatic'.
Michael Gove has yet to comment but a Labour spokes person has stated this to be a "Good thing, I think the public are with me in begrudging Gove the oxygen he breaths".
Tagged education, Jason Statham, Michael Gove, Politics, Trisram Hunt
September 13, 2012 by tiggerim
Gove in History Curriculum U-turn
'I was wrong' states Education Secretary, 'teachers are doing a quite splendid job'.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, has issued an unreserved apology to all history teachers following the shock discovery that the sources of all his historical knowledge contained erroneous and often incorrect facts.
'I lambasted teachers for a woefully poor delivery of the history curriculum, until yesterday I thought children left school with little or no knowledge of this nations rich tapestry or world events' Gove told the Education Select Committee, later revealing that all his historical knowledge were gleamed from the books '1066 and all that' and 'The Onion Presents: Our Dumb Century'; which he mistook for academic histories.
'I was wrong; an 8 year old child who knows Henry VIII had 6 wives knows more than I do. Until yesterday I thought WWII started when Hitler neutralised the Polish menace, with Europe relieved that Germany lifted the grim spectre of Polish tyranny from the continent. Only when Germany invaded Britain, Belgium, Holland and France (who surrendered after a valiant 10 minute struggle) did things get unpleasant'.
Hanging his head in shame the MP placed himself in special measures, with the National Union of Teachers the proposed sponsors of the relaunched ''Militant Marxist Department for Education, Skills and Training for the Overthrow of Capitalism'. General Secretary, Christine Blower, told journalists that like all sponsors of free schools and academies the NUT will have no influence upon
Tagged Conservative, education, education select committee, Michael Gove, NUT, Politics
May 22, 2012 by tiggerim
Michael Gove "Getting this book into schools, a personal 'Mein Kampf"
"We should celebrate and cherish great works whose still resonate within society, long after their original printing' Education Secretary Michael Gove told journalists.
Beating the podium with his fist he declared "Getting this book into schools was a personal mein kampf but we found a final solution to the issue and now all children have access to Hitler's powerful, authoritative polemic; for we do not learn history just in order to know the past, we learn history in order to find instructions to prevent future mistakes and for the continued existence of our own nation".
The project, costing £350000, has been paid for by a consortium of 8 Conservative Party donors, or a "band of fellow travellers" according to the Education Secretary.
"The pulsing heart of this book is experienced 87 years after it was published, we still talk about the 'blitz spirit', Top Gear drove across the desert in a car bearing the Luftwaffe's livery while Chelsea fans, including our fine chancellor, hummed the 'Great Escape' during last weeks cup final. Without 'Mien Kampf' none of these would have taken place. It is because of this we should all acclaim and revere this book, it is why I have made it a feature of every school library".
Outlining what he'd personally learnt from 'Mein Kampf Michael Gove stated that his political communiqués bare its legacy,
"If you wish for sympathy of the broad masses, you must tell them the crudest and most stupid things. All propaganda must be popular and its intellectual level must be adjusted to the most limited intelligence among those it is addressed to. To be blunt I speak crap because the man on the street only understands little but shit".
Answering the final question the Education Secretary said "David modelled for the cover, we think he bears a striking likeness"
When pressed Gove refused to clarify if it was David Mitchell or David Cameron who posed for the cover, representatives of both refuse to comment on the matter.
Tony Blair is rumoured to be embarking on a similar project, donating copies of 'Slaughterhouse 5' to every school along with a little red book called 'Quotations of Chairman Murdoch, an invaluable reference during his premiership. The book contains 10 blank pages towards the end for the reader to complete with fresh dictates from Chairman Murdoch. David Cameron also is known to possess a copy, the latest edition with a forward by Rebecca Brooks.
Tagged Conservative, education, George Osborne, Gove, Hitler, Mein Kampf, Michael Gove, Schools
DirectGov = UK Governments digital service
DirectGove = What someone should do, preferably to the realms of sanity (and numeracy)
Tagged Michael Gove
Michael Gove Put into Special Measures
The Education Secretary Michael Gove has been placed into special measures following a damming Ofsted report.
Inspectors ranked Gove as "inadequate" in most area following an inspection in March, citing his inability to understand basic maths when questioned by the education select committee and deteriorating relations with teaching unions and parent groups as examples of how the Education Secretary is a failing minister.
Previous shortcomings, highlighted in Ofsted's November report, had failed to be addressed such wasting resources by issuing the Kings James Bible to all schools, despite the average school library containing 15 Bibles along with other religious texts.
This left Ofsted with little choice but to describe Michael Gove as "failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and teachers an acceptable chance of educating".
"Name calling and bulling, by labelling those who oppose his views as 'Trots', is not how someone should manage and motivate. In a professional office it would result in disciplinary action" the Ofsted report stated, "given this is not an option we've put Michael Gove into special measures and unless significant improvement is shown in the next 6 weeks he will be replaced by Richard Dawkins 'Darwin Academy'.
Michael Gove is the MP for Surrey Heath and in December 2010 claimed that 'Like Chairman Mao, we've embarked on a Long March to reform our education system', unaware that the Chinese Cultural revolution resulted in widespread abuse, rape and torture; the education system being closed for 10 years.
Tagged Conservative, education, Gove, Michael Gove, ofsed
January 18, 2012 by tiggerim
Michael Gove to send Mien Kampf to all English schools
Education State schools in England are to receive a copy of Mein Kampf from the government with a brief forward by Michael Gove, the education secretary, to mark the 87th anniversary of its publication.
In a move intended to help every pupil access Britain's cultural heritage each primary and secondary school will receive a copy next year, to coincide with the anniversary of Hitler's 1923 Munich Beer Hall putsch.
Gove will write a brief foreword in this special edition, "It is a thing of beauty and incredible historical importance. No other book has helped shape and define Britain in the last 200 years. The consequences of Hitler's words and the deeds they inspired still resonate today in the nations shared culture".
The Department for Education estimates the cost of the scheme at £375,000, and is seeking philanthropic sponsorship from someone beyond Nick Griffin who is please the BNP's 2010 manifesto is being distributed to all schools.
Tagged education, Hitler, Mein Kampf, Michael Gove, Politics


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Home Technology Is Rotakin credible in the digital age?
Is Rotakin credible in the digital age?
The Rotakin test was established over two decades ago, and was formulated in a time of analogue video. In today's digital age, the target-based test presents challenges for installers and integrators. Benchmark considers the best approach, assisted by Steven Ryan of Axis Communications.
The Rotakin test target was designed approximately a quarter of a century ago to evaluate the performance of CCTV systems. It's goal was to ensure that cameras were theoretically capable of producing suitable images of intruders. The test was used to assess whether or not individuals captured by video could be identified, and to determine how well users would be able to see camouflaged individuals in differing weather or lighting conditions.
The original Rotakin guidelines were used to establish a required percentage of the screen that a target should fill. Differing values were specified dependent upon the intended use of the video surveillance system.
These were 120 per cent for identification, delivering picture quality and detail sufficient to enable the identity of a subject to be established beyond reasonable doubt; not less than 50 per cent for recognition, giving a high degree of certainty whether or not the individual is someone seen previously; not less than 10 per cent for detection, giving a high degree of certainty a person is visible within an image, and not less than 5 per cent for monitoring, allowing a user to determine the number, direction and speed of movement of viewed individuals.
Elements of the original tests specified resolution in TV lines, which helped establish the required percentages as mentioned. These measurements established the dimensions of critical details.
The tests – based on a traditional analogue 4CIF image – assumed that all cameras had the same maximum resolution and displayed a full frame or field image. At the time, this was pretty much correct. However, the significantly wider and greater range of IP cameras with varying resolutions and advanced streaming options simply do not fit with such an assumption.
A step forwards?
With the advent of higher resolution IP cameras, in some circumstances it could be difficult to configure and commission a network camera in line with the Rotakin test requirements. With increasing IP surveillance cameras sales, EN 50132-7 was modified in June 2013, taking into consideration 'megapixels per metre'.
This move was made in order to allow a direct comparison with the levels of detail in the prescribed percentages used for identification, recognition, detection and general monitoring.
Higher resolutions for HD cameras and multi-megapixel devices simply do not require the prescribed percentages, as elements of the scene can be digitally zoomed or identified as regions of interest, and despite this magnification will still deliver higher resolution images with more detail than a standard analogue camera ever will!
The change allowed installers, integrators and specifiers to determine what level of detail an IP camera would capture at specified distances, in line with the site operational requirements.
In principle, this approach is an accurate way of benchmarking the performance of an IP surveillance system in line with operational requirements. With the inclusion of the level of new detail in the standards documents, it meant that there was a comparison between the two technologies.
Of course, the standard and the addendums did not account for the flexibility of modern networked cameras, and in some cases there were issues relating to how the video was to be used. There were a number of difficulties adopting the new IP standards related to megapixels per metre in specific surveillance environments.
Whilst the new standards guaranteed that the level of detail captured was 100 per cent accurate, in some cases it was only beneficial for operational systems which were used for evidential purposes or when users retrospectively interrogated the viewed scene. Whilst there was the capacity to view the footage at appropriate detail levels after an event, this wasn't always the case with live viewing.
When a surveillance system is being proactively operated, the level of detail obtained in a live view on a digital screen could be too small for an operator to distinguish objects accurately. The level of detail would, however, have been guaranteed when using a Rotakin test to commission the surveillance system. It is a case of the test process not being flexible enough to accommodate the advanced possibilities available from modern systems.
This has recently been identified and as a result an addendum has been made to the standards related to the testing and commissioning of IP surveillance systems. The result was that an appendix was added, stating that live view IP surveillance camera images must comply with the original Rotakin test and be shown as a percentage of screen height once again. This has obviously created some challenges to manufacturers and system integrators when trying to adhere to a standard that uses terminology in TV lines adopted for a fixed resolution analogue camera.
It may ne necessary to ensure a captured image fills a specific screen height so the level of detail can been seen when live, rather than as evidence at a later date. Installers, integrators and specifiers therefore may need to make an IP surveillance system work within a standard-based around an analogue technology.
Today, many security installations use video analytics to automatically detect objects and people within a camera's field of view. These automatic detections can then be sent to an operator's screen for visual verification of the alarm event.
Due to the improvement in IP camera technology and the increase in pixel density now available, automatic detection systems are able to see much further, and to do so in more challenging conditions than ever before. This improved performance can, however, have a negative impact on the visual verification requirement of the operator.
In longer detection zones, some objects may appear too small on the operator's screen, meaning that the secondary visual verification required by the operator is not always possible.
In a video image, when the target subject is near the camera they will be clearly noticeable by the operator as they fill a good percentage of the vertical screen height.
As shown in the right hand side image on page 53, if the subject is at the far end of the scene, even though an automatic motion detection system or video analytics engine may detect them, they fill a much smaller percentage of the vertical screen height. This may cause the operator some difficulties in providing a quick and accurate visual verification of the alarm event.
Because of this, many security surveillance system designs will require that when an automatic detection occurs, the object still fills a minimum proportion of the operator's screen, thus enabling accurate secondary visual verification of the event. Of course, this requirement can introduce a degree of compromise.
Often the solution is to use a higher number of standard resolution cameras and shorten the detection zones. This ensures the subject fills a high percentage of the vertical screen height, enabling the required visual verification by the operator. Unfortunately, the customers who accept such an approach miss out on the potential cost saving benefits that come with using higher mega pixel cameras and longer detection zones. Also, for the installer, integrator and specifier, it can result in a system which is not financially viable!
Managing views
One feature which many modern IP-based cameras allow is the selection of specific areas in an image, which can then be streamed as 'virtual cameras'. Often referred to as view areas, areas of interest or a host of other names, these can be selected as an independent stream from a multi-streaming device.
Increasingly, modern VMS solutions are able to handle multiple streams from a single device, including 'virtual cameras', and often these can have very different configurations to other streams from a single camera. In effect, they can have all the typical configurations of a physical device – IVA, motion detection, alarm handling, event-actioned triggers, rules and actions – applied to them. Also, as they are independent from the other streams delivered by the camera, a higher degree of flexibility is on offer. This means that installers and integrators can decide which streams are displayed in response to events.
Subsequently, the use of 'virtual cameras' can allow the system to retain a single multi-megapixel camera, and can enjoy the benefits of IVA or motion detection, whilst still meeting requirements for live displays to show certain sized images of targets.
By using the multi-streaming functionality in combination with different automatic detection zones within a camera's field of view, an event can trigger the display of a specific cropped area of the scene, enabling quicker and more accurate visual verification.
The original image is still streamed and recorded, if that is what the operational requirement dictates. However, the camera can also stream a 'virtual camera' created by cropping the area of the image in which far detection zones are located. The result is that any target which triggers an event will now appear as a much higher percentage of the vertical screen height. This ensures that an operator can clearly see any intruder and can act upon the event having verified it. Dependent upon camera specifications, different views can be created to address the needs of the system, allowing identification, recognition, detection and monitoring in different areas of the scene, if necessary.
These additional camera image streams require no additional hardware at the camera end (if a suitable device is selected). Depending on the VMS being used, typically no additional software licences are required either. This is because the multiple streams are generated from a single IP address (one camera).
With these extra 'virtual camera' views and multiple zones on the automatic detection system, the VMS can be configured to display different cropped streams depending on which zone is activated. This allows the benefits of advanced IP cameras to be realised, whilst also maximising the operators view, which ensures higher efficiency.
The Rotakin test is very much from a different age, but it still is relevant based upon the operator's ability to react to live views. However, modern IP cameras do deliver the ability to exploit advanced technology and still meet the standards for displayed live images. Careful design can ensure best practice and higher performance!
IPRotakin
Delivering enhanced video archiving topologies
Secure Infrastructure
Disconnected: The importance of VLANs
Ethernet over Coax: Preserving Legacy Systems?
IP Infrastructure: A Secure Platform?
Networked Entry Level Access
Effectively Managing Bandwidth


Sometimes the simple things are taken for granted! Well no longer with the Stance Uncommon Super Invisible socks. Now three times more durable and no slip grip, there's lots to like. Add the generous doses of combed cotton and these super invisible no show socks cement the best things are below the surface!


Cattle industry leaders offer testimonials to the high quality of Four Sixes' Black Angus stock and program.
"We were proud to be a part of 'history in the making' when the first 6666-bred females ever made available by public auction were presented at our sale. The Burnett Ranches' 6666 legacy is well known to anyone who knows anything about ranching or horses. However, one of the best kept secrets in the west is the 6666 cowherd. Highly productive, range-adapted and ready to add to the bottom line of any operation. The quality and attention to detail on an operation of this size and scope are awe-inspiring.


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Vol. 29 No. January - July (2021) /
Racial integration through two-way dual language immersion: A case study
Elizabeth M. Uzzell North Carolina State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9835-1938
Jennifer B. Ayscue North Carolina State University
racial integration, desegregation, dual language immersion, two-way immersion, bilingual education
Despite increasingly diverse public school enrollment, students across the U.S. are still segregated by race and poverty, and English learners (ELs) often experience triple segregation by race, poverty, and language. Two-way immersion (TWI) programs may create racially integrated learning environments, by offering a dual language model that balances native English speakers and speakers of the partner language. Through semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis, this qualitative case study examined how a Spanish TWI program facilitates integration in a rural elementary school. Findings show that students from different backgrounds may have equal status in mutually beneficial environments, can become bilingual and bicultural, and may experience lifelong benefits. Implications include the need for increased federal, state, and local funding to support districts using TWI to achieve integration as well as a federal language policy that promotes TWI.
Elizabeth M. Uzzell, North Carolina State University
Elizabeth M. Uzzell is a graduate research assistant in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on disproportionality in discipline, program implementation, and equitable educational opportunities in K-12 schools.
Jennifer B. Ayscue, North Carolina State University
Jennifer B. Ayscue, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and in Educational Leadership in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on school desegregation and equitable educational opportunities in K-12 schools.
Uzzell, E. M., & Ayscue, J. B. (2021). Racial integration through two-way dual language immersion: A case study. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 29(January - July), 48. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.29.5949
Vol. 29 No. January - July (2021)
Kfir Mordechay, Jennifer B. Ayscue, Policies needed to build inclusive cities and schools , Education Policy Analysis Archives: Vol. 26 (2018)
Jennifer B. Ayscue, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Magnets and school turnarounds: Revisiting policies for promoting equitable, diverse schools , Education Policy Analysis Archives: Vol. 27 (2019)


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14th June 2018 By Jack Parsons
"An Experience You Would Never Ever Forget": Inside England's 1966 World Cup Victory
The date is 30 July 1966, a day that will be forever remembered in England as the day football came home. Crowds flood the streets of London as people line the streets, hoping to get a glimpse of the coach housing the winning players and management team. As the celebrations become increasingly frenetic a practicing GP and a man who admits that cricket is actually his sport sits with the world champions on the coach, behind manager Alf Ramsey, whom he casually chats to on a day that will go down in the nation's history.
Dr Neil Phillips found his way into the world of football medicine after a fateful encounter with Walter Winterbottom, the first England manager. Impressed by his aptitude for sports medicine after he treated a member of the England under-23 team, Winterbottom sent him to do an appraisal of the FA medical course incognito. After Phillips handed in the report he assumed that was the end of it, but while working in his surgery in 1962 he recalls that he received a call from a man whose name he immediately recognized: "My name is Ramsey, Alf Ramsey. I'm the manager of the England national football team. We haven't met but I've heard a lot about you and I wonder if you'd be a doctor to the England under-23 team?" Phillips accepted and when he finally met Ramsey they "got on like a house on fire."
It wasn't all sweetness and light, though, as the game was undergoing a dramatic change. "The environment at that time surrounding the England football team was hostile to say the least," Phillips explains. "Alf Ramsey was the first manager of the England team to pick it. Up until the time Alf Ramsey was appointed the team was picked by the FA directors." Ramsey's determination in having total control over his team had created an atmosphere of tension: "What made Alf's appointment so hostile was that he said, 'I pick the team, nobody else, and I don't want the Football Association directors involved in the picking of the team'", recalls Phillips.
This change meant that directors who had become accustomed to five-star treatment lost all their luxuries, power, and, crucially for Phillips, they wouldn't agree to the appointment of doctors to the team. Ramsey was honest with the doctor, saying: "Look, they don't want you, but I want you. I want you to come and be part of the team." Because of the hostility surrounding the squad, Phillips discovered he wouldn't be paid, but Ramsey insisted on his instatement. Phillips accepted and became a crucial member of England's backroom staff from 1962 to 1974.
Dr Neil Phillips was the England football team doctor for 12 years, but he got the job almost by accident
Juggling a full-time job as a GP, Phillips took time off as holiday to be with the team during their preparations for the tournament and spent two weeks with the players. Eager to achieve total unity within his team, Ramsey encouraged his backroom staff to follow the players' schedule exactly, "I had to do everything the players did. If they went to the pictures, I went to the pictures, if they went for a walk, I went for a walk." This created a solid close-knit squad, and when captain Bobby Moore was asked about the doctor at a press conference, he replied, "The doc? He's just part of the squad."
Ramsey was supremely confident in his team and believed they would win the World Cup. Phillips recalls that before the tournament even began, "Alf said to Wilf McGuinness [the former Manchester United player and member of England's backroom staff] and I, 'When we get to the final, I'll give you a ring and invite you both down.' We said, 'That'll never happen.' And he said, 'Don't you worry, I will send for you and you'll come down to the final.'"
Phillips' doubts were unfounded as the England team secured a place in the final at Wembley. Just like Ramsey had promised, Phillips was going to be there for the big day. "When England got to the final, I got a telephone call from Alf saying, 'We've booked a room for you in London, we want you to come down a few days before, and we've booked a room for your wife to come down for the celebration after we've won it.'"
The GP travelled to London before the final and stayed in Hendon Hall Hotel with the team. On the morning of the match he met with the players and they travelled together to the stadium by coach. Phillips recalls the electrified mood: "The whole atmosphere of the country on that day was amazing. Going in the coach to Wembley, it was absolutely jam-packed with people on both sides of the road all the way to the stadium." Phillips watched in awe as hundreds of people cheered the coach as it passed from Hendon to Wembley Stadium.
The equipment at Wembley was a far cry from what footballers and backroom staff enjoy today. "There was no medical room", Phillips explains. "We used to have a card table and put the instruments out on the card table in case anyone needed to be stitched up." Phillips recalls one particular instance while preparing the team for the World Cup, where the team didn't even have a medical bag and he had to go to a local chemists shop to buy plasters and bandages for the team.
On the day of the final, Phillips accompanied the players onto the pitch before the match, helping them prepare them for the biggest game of their lives. When the players were ready to go out to start the match, Ramsey gave Phillips a ticket for the director's box and he took his place next to Winterbottom as the game began.
During half-time, Phillips left his seat and went into the dressing room where he remembers that Ramsey was calm. "The dressing rooms even at half-time were quiet, peaceful places", he said. "I've never ever known him [Ramsey] to lose his temper […] he was quiet and placid and he would say, 'Sit yourself down and we'll have a chat in a minute.'" Even during the World Cup final, the famous manager was business as usual.
After two goals in extra time – one of them controversial – a 4-2 England win was secured. Amid exuberant celebrations on the pitch, Phillips went down to the dressing room and was reunited with the euphoric team. About 45 minutes after the win he remembers that, "Alan Ball turned to Nobby Stiles and said, 'Hey Nobby, we've forgotten – we get a bonus!' The bonus for the England team was £1,000, but only for those players who played in the final. There were 22 players in the final squad who had been with the England team the whole way and some were going to get nothing. So the team who played had a quick meeting and said they were going to give their bonus to the rest of the squad. So instead of getting £1,000 each, they got £500. The doctors, of course, got nothing.
The Queen presents the 1966 World Cup to England Captain, Bobby Moore
"After we won, we went from the hotel into London to a banquet in the Royal Garden Hotel Kensington. I've never seen so many people on a road all the way to Kensington," remembers Phillips. The entire country was gripped by a sense of euphoria, and London was in the centre of it all. "People were at the side of the roads, what seemed like hundreds with dustbin lids, banging the dustbin lids as we went along the road. It was absolutely phenomenal; it really was an experience you would never ever forget. I was sitting immediately behind Alf Ramsey in the coach and I leaned forward to Alf, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "What do we do next? We can't beat this!" And Alf said, 'We have to go to Mexico and win it there.' He was already thinking about four years' time."
After the banquet, the players and management were told that we could go to various places in London free of charge where they would be welcomed as guests. So the legendary team finally split up, with Phillips recalling how the defender Jack Charlton "wanted to go and visit a friend somewhere in London and he was found the following morning in the garden of his friend's house."
As for Phillips, he paired up with the trainer Les Cocker and went to the Playboy Club in Mayfair, which had been opened that same year by Hugh Hefner. "Les Cocker and I had never been anywhere near the Bunny Club in our lives before. As we entered, Les Cocker said to me: 'This is a day I want to remember for the rest of my life, I want to remember every minute of it. So I'm only going to drink orange squash, and when I wake up in the morning I'll be able to recall every minute of this day.'" It was an advice the GP followed and ensured that when he woke up the next day every memory from the day England took on the best in the world and won was clear as day in his head.
Doctor To The Word Champions, Neil Phillips' autobiography, is published by Trafford Publishing and is available on their website or through Amazon.
This article originally appeared in All About History 14. Buy the latest issue of All About History here or subscribe now from £13.
All About History is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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To be honest I wasn't expecting when we decided to pay a second visit to Tuthilltown Distillery using the Friday of our four day long weekend that it will be one of the most beautiful days of this year to ride the train along Hudson River. It was almost 75 degrees, sun was shining like never did for four months and the cool breeze was hitting our faces like we were in the middle of distant mountains. It was hard to believe that I was at the Grand Central a few hours ago trying to find my way to our track among thousands of people rushing to their offices.
I was up there last June and had an amazing day while they were in the middle of the transition state William Grant & Sons taking over their Hudson Whiskey range. Since that time they purchased a new still, moved their bottling room to next door to a bigger place to deal with the higher output, changed their washbacks and rearranged their product line.
So, I thought it was the time to visit the distillery again. Metro North brought us to Poughkeepsie after a gorgeous trip along the river where we took a cab to New Paltz passing all the vineyards and wineries along the road to get a breakfast before we head to Tuthilltown. In New Paltz we discovered Main Street Bistro which is a Williamsburg style diner, all time crowded with hipsters and college students. Despite their style and look actually the food was great. If you happen to plan a trip to the distillery I would strongly recommend to stop by and check their menu if you don't mind waiting in line for a few minutes when they are arranging a table for you. After filling our stomachs we spent an hour in the city browsing local shops and bookstores and we departed to the distillery.
The first big change you notice right away at the entrance is the new restaurant housed in the old grist mill with an outdoor patio. We made our way directly to the tasting room deciding to visit the restaurant later. I actually thought that the distillery was looking almost the same at the first sight or maybe I was expecting bigger changes. I think changes in bigger scale are still on their way in the future but it looks like distilling and construction are going on at the same time on the site. It always looked hectic there, in a good way... It was like that last June, too but they seem busier than ever. Everybody is in a hurry, looks like working continuously all day long. You feel kind of guilty when you are walking around them. They stop for a second, let you go, smile at you and go back to work. I had the same warm and welcoming feeling I experienced last June. It's good to see that that feeling is not fading out in time when their size of operation gets bigger and bigger.
So, after their deal with William Grant & Son some stuff changed. They don't have any distillery only and small batch products anymore. Goodbye to 100% wheat New York Whiskey which was my favorite and no more single malt whiskey, at least for a while till W. G. & Son thinks it's the time for them. Their rum expression changed the bottle and the name so it doesn't look like in the Hudson Whiskey range. They teamed up with the "Huguenot Historical Society of New Paltz" for this new release. It will be called Roggen's Rum and sold in 750ml bottles. It's an incredibly smooth aged sipping rum. Their Hudson Whiskey line-up is limited to New York Corn Whiskey, Manhattan Rye Whiskey, Baby Bourbon and Four Grain Bourbon. Tasting on site didn't change my mind. Among their core range the winner for me was always Manhattan Rye and the runner-up was Four Grain Bourbon. So, I am coming home with a bottle of Manhattan Rye. By the way even if I am not into unaged spirits I have to say that their corn whiskey is the only white dog I can imagine myself sipping over a cube of ice and also their Heart of Hudson double distilled apple vodka was a nice and impressive surprise for me. Pretty nice apple taste along the palate and aftertaste was very distinct. I'll leave all the tasting notes for a later post. I also admit that we couldn't help purchasing a bottle of whiskey barrel aged maple syrup from the shop... I am pretty excited to taste it.


WG Eavesdropping Protection – Fixed System provides a fixed 24/7 solution for keeping your meeting rooms, office and public areas safe from eavesdropping.
The system uses multi sensor technology, it can secure multiple locations from a central control point, providing real-time protection from active devices as well as store and forward transmissions.
The system will carry out a reference check and then alert the user to any threats brought into the room, it has been developed to give you the ultimate protection even when you are not there.
Its compact design easily blends into the surroundings seamlessly, it can be easy and effectively deployed with minimum training for users.
Information is the key currency of today's modern economy, confidential information can be a company's most valuable asset.
In recent years there has been an ever increasing rise in the use of surveillance and eavesdropping techniques by governments, industry, commerce and terrorist.
Sophisticated listening and transmitting equipment is now readily available on the internet, it is widely recognised that there are hundreds of thousands of un-licensed and un-regulated private investigators throughout the world with many having access to this equipment.
The recent exposure of mobile phone hacking and mass email intercepts has rightly led many concerned people to adopt face-to-face communication for their most important exchanges.
The majority of companies and organisations dealing with sensitive issues, confidential information and valuable intellectual property already have a range of security measures in place.
Access control, card readers, cyber security, firewalls, encryption, screening and regular sweeps all have a part to play.
The argument for raising the security bar is that all these measures can be circumvented by a small, inexpensive eavesdropping device.


Those of us reading East of West will be rejoicing this week. Well, I know at least I will. Jonathan Hickman is a notoriously complex writer. Many times he writes stories that are not meant to be completely understood until the very last issue, leaving you to navigate through the labyrinthine plots and subplots while also keeping track of the myriad of characters he likes to throw at you. However, as confusing as Hickman can be sometimes, his stories are compelling. East of West is no different.
This week, he's throwing us a bone. This one shot is being described as "part atlas, part encyclopedia, part timeline, and part apocrypha". Sounds more confusing that it needs to be, as per usual, but a sourcebook is very welcome in my opinion. The world in East of West is very detailed and filled with backstory, but we're only told enough to keep up in the back issues. I'm curious to see what will be explained here… if anything at all.
(SPOILERS) Wolverine is dead. So because he's dead, we need another character to fill out the …and the X-men book. Cue Spider-Man. Wolverine asked Spidey to come teach at the Jean Grey School, but also to investigate suspicions that a student in the school isn't all that they seem. The creative team is brand spanking new. Kalan is the head writer at The Daily Show. He has written comics before, but this is his ongoing debut. Failla, the artist, is also a neophyte when it comes to ongoing series. Let's see how they do!
"Sneaky, Sneaky, Valiant," said Martinez when he first read the solicitation for this book in Previews. Honestly, I never really gave Valiant a shot. Maybe it was because I'm already reading way too much, or maybe I didn't take them seriously. While the first may be true, I was dead wrong on the later.
Slowly but surely Valiant Comics has been up-ing their game. They've gotten huge names in comics to write this ever expanding universe of theirs. Names like: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, James Asmus. Now Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt (who's also writing Rai) bring us the newest Valiant epic. And it really does look epic. Artist Paolo Rivera, as always, looks on point on this issue and I'm sure he will be for all four issues of this limited series.


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China:Flood:2012/06/21
Duration 2012/06/21 8 people in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have been killed by rainstorms that have affected millions of people in many parts of the country since 21 June 2012.
Country or District China
Name Flood
Xinhua 2012/07/02
Floods triggered by strong rainfall that has been battering many parts of China since June 20 have left 50 people dead and 42 missing, new figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs have showed. More than 10.4 million people have been affected by downpours in 399 counties in Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou, with 1.247 million in urgent need of aid, as of 10 a.m. 29 June 2012.
The death toll from the week-long rainstorms in south China\'s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has risen to 10, and another person remains missing in the area. As of Wednesday evening, 27 June, over 1.21 million people and 649,700 hectares of farmland in Guangxi have been affected by downpours since 21 June.
9 people are dead and over 932,000 people and 51,860 hectares of farmland in Guangxi have been affected by downpours since June 21.
Over 843,500 people and 35,530 hectares of farmland in Guangxi have been affected by downpours since Thursday.


The Board of Directors of RBL Bank Limited at its meeting held today, approved the standalone unaudited financial results for the quarter and half year ended September 30, 2018.
The Bank's growth in advances portfolio continued to be robust at 37% on a year-on-year basis. The net advances as at September 30, 2018 were Rs. 45,872.66 crore as against Rs. 33,576.01 on September 30, 2017, with all-round growth observed in all business segments. The growth in the Corporate & Institutional segment and Commercial Banking (together termed as "Wholesale portfolio") was pegged at 33%, while that of other segments (Retail Assets and Development Banking & Financial Inclusion - together termed as ("Non-wholesale portfolio") was 43%. The non-wholesale portfolio constituted about 41% of the loan portfolio of the Bank as at September 30, 2018.
The gross NPA ratio has decreased to 1.40% as at September 30, 2018 from 1.44% as at September 30, 2017. The restructured standard assets portfolio has decreased to 0.07% as at September 30, 2018 from 0.41% as at September 30, 2017. The net NPA ratio has decreased to 0.74% as at September 30, 2018 from 0.78% as at September 30, 2017. The Bank's provisioning coverage ratio (including technical write-offs), increased to 61.45% as at September 30, 2018 as compared to 58.27% as at September 30, 2017.
The Bank's deposits growth on year on year basis was driven by strong growth in CASA deposits. Deposits grew to Rs. 47,790.09 crore as at September 30, 2018 as against Rs. 36,569.05 crore as at September 30, 2017. CASA ratio increased to 24.51% as at September 30, 2018 compared to 23.67% as at September 30, 2017.
The Bank's capital adequacy ratio as at September 30, 2018 was 13.12% and Tier-1 capital adequacy ratio was 11.84%, significantly higher than the regulatory requirements.
Commenting on the performance, Mr. Vishwavir Ahuja, MD & CEO, RBL Bank said "We continue to consistently maintain our growth momentum and importantly have delivered higher margins and strong profitability with robust asset quality despite challenges in the operating environment. We continue to track well to our Vision 2020 goals."
Shares of RBL Bank Ltd was last trading in BSE at Rs.469.6 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 505. The total number of shares traded during the day was 567947 in over 12359 trades.
The stock hit an intraday high of Rs. 524 and intraday low of 460.3. The net turnover during the day was Rs. 268660837.


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7 Moscow Locations Connected to Saint Petersburg
Exploring Saint Petersburg while in Moscow
Moscow and Saint Petersburg have always had a cultural connection. Both cities feature a number of cultural allusions to one another. Here's a list of Moscow locations where you can find pieces of Saint Petersburg.
Kolomenskoye
An open-air wooden architectural museum
39 Andropova Avenue
mgomz.ru
House of Peter the Great in Kolomenskoye is a full-scale model of the dwelling in Zaandam (Netherlands) where the Russian emperor stayed during a diplomatic mission in 1697. The copy of the building also came from the Netherlands — first to Saint Petersburg, and then to Moscow. The gift from the Government of the Netherlands has been one of the main tourist attractions of Kolomenskoye Museum Estate since October 2013.
Pizza 22 cm
Neapolitan pizza and contemporary Italian cuisine
1/2 Solyanka Street
pizza22cm.ru
A pizza restaurant from Saint Petersburg, often listed among the top eating venues in the most prestigious gastronomic ratings. The Moscow branch of Pizza 22 cm may be smaller than its Saint Petersburg counterpart, but the place has a history: the basement in Kitay-gorod used to be a salt warehouse. The menu is almost the same as the original, featuring over ten types of pizzas, from the classic Neapolitan to experimental styles, as well as dishes inspired by contemporary Italian cuisine.
St. Clement's Church
Baroque monument and outstanding restoration project
26 Pyatnitskaya Street, bldg. 1
klement.ru
The most ornate church in Zamoskvorechye boasts original 18th-century interior decor. The church was built by Pietro Trezzini, son of the famous architect Domenico Trezzini, author of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and other iconic landmarks in Saint Petersburg. Trezzini's Baroque-style church ensemble features stuccos on the walls, but the main attraction is the 30-meter gilded iconostasis with wooden sculptures.
Stalin's Seven Skyscrapers
Soviet skyscrapers in the Stalinist Empire style
In 1842, Nicholas I signed a decree to build a railway between Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Architect Konstantin Ton used the same design for the railway terminals in both cities, which is why the buildings are almost identical. Both have classical facades with columns and are decorated with identical towers. Their similarity is also reflected in the names of the terminals: Moskovsky in Saint Petersburg and Leningradsky in Moscow.
Krasny Oktyabr
From confectionery factory to cultural center
The largest monument to Peter the Great, the founder of Saint Petersburg, is located in Moscow: a huge sculpture by Zurab Tsereteli stands on Bolotnaya Embankment. The official name of the monument is "In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet," but people know it as a monument to Peter the Great. Moscow citizens have different opinions about the sculpture, but it remains one of the most notable monuments in the city.
The Satyricon Theater named after Arkady Raikin
2 Sheremetievskaya St., Moscow
satirikon.ru
The modern history of this Saint Petersburg theater is connected to Moscow. Before the war, Satyricon was known as the Leningrad Variety and Miniature Theater, founded by famous Russian satirist Arkady Raikin. In 1982, the theater moved to Moscow and was renamed Satyricon five years later. Arkady's father, Konstantin Raikin, became the head of the theater. Satyricon is currently known as one of Moscow's main drama theaters. Despite its name, Satyricon doesn't stage many comedies.
Cover photo: Wikipedia/Creative Commons
What to Bring From Moscow and Where to Find Memorable Gifts
How the cable car works
Three stations, ski slopes, and marriage registrations
History of Moscow buses
In celebration of the birthday of Moscow buses


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Wayne Co. delays decision on retiree health care hike
Proposal would raise contribution to insurance by about $1,200 a year for 1,200 retirees
Wayne Co. delays decision on retiree health care hike Proposal would raise contribution to insurance by about $1,200 a year for 1,200 retirees Check out this story on detroitnews.com: http://detne.ws/1pwqg6G
Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News Published 11:48 a.m. ET March 17, 2016
Detroit — Wayne County commissioners Thursday voted to send a proposal that would increase in how much some retirees pay for health care insurance back to committee.
The 15-member commission voted 14-0 to send the measure back to its committee of the whole for further consideration. Commissioner Martha Scott, D-Highland Park, was absent.
On Thursday morning, five Wayne County retiree organizations called the move "draconian" and urged commissioners to vote against the measure.
Also, the commission's chambers were packed with retirees who were waiting to see the outcome of scheduled vote on the proposal.
Commissioner Jewel Ware, D-Detroit, made the motion to return the proposal to the committee.
"I asked for more information about retirees' income, and I don't have it yet," she said after Thursday's meeting. "My understanding is my colleagues also want more information. The more information we have, the better position we'll be in to make a decision."
Commissioner Joe Palamara, D-Grosse Ile Township, agreed.
"There's sound syllogism on both sides of the issue," he said after the meeting. "We want to take more time to figure out what the best decision is."
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said he's hopeful commissioners will eventually approve the proposal.
"Wayne County still has more than $1.5 billion in unfunded financial obligations," he said in a statement. "Because of the joint efforts of the county executive and the commission, that figure is about $1 billion less than it was a year ago.
"We must, however, continue to take fiscally responsible steps, even when difficult, if Wayne County is to fully return to fiscal health."
Submitted by Evans' office, the proposal calls for raising the contribution for a group of about 1,200 so-called "mirror" retirees an average of $1,200 a year. Wayne County has about 5,279 retirees, officials said.
The commission met as a committee of the whole on Tuesday and voted to forward it to the full board Thursday for its action. That vote was 9-4.
Mirror retirees are county workers who retired from their jobs between 2007 and 2015 under labor contracts that guaranteed they would would get the same health insurance benefits as active county workers. The county has about 3,200 employees.
Under the proposal, the county will use its consent agreement with the state to raise how much mirror retirees pay every month toward their health care plans. Officials said the average increase would be about $100 a month.
Officials said the move is intended to help address the county's unfunded health care liability, which amounts to about $462 million. In addition, they said, it makes the system more fair to active employees, who are required to contribute 25 percent toward health care while mirror retirees only contribute 10 percent. The county currently pays about $6,700 a year in health care for mirror retirees, but only $2,400 for non-mirror retirees.
They also said only the retiree contribution will change, the health care coverage won't.
In January 2015, Wayne County faced a $52 million annual deficit stemming from an underfunded pension system and a $100 million drop in property tax revenue since 2008. In addition, the county was pulling about $20 million from its general fund each year to bolster its pension system.
Four months later, the county ended health care coverage for future retirees as part of a recovery plan designed to slash $230 million from the county's budget over four years.
It also transferred some retirees from an employer-paid group health care system to one that gives them a monthly stipend to pay for a plan purchased on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. The move to a stipend, which affected about 5,000 former employees, stemmed from the settlement of a lawsuit filed by retirees.
By June, Evans asked the state to declare a financial emergency and intervene to help fix the finances of Michigan's most populous county. In August, the county entered into a consent agreement with the state.
After a series of cost-cutting measures, the county closed its last fiscal year with a positive general fund balance for the first time in eight years.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
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Why am I focusing on forgiveness? Because this is a topic that frequently arises in a psychic medium reading. Sitters often want forgiveness for some misdeed or desire an apology from their loved one for his / her behavior. Although it can be handled from across the veil, it's easier for communication to happen while both parties are walking on the earthly plane.
I've written about forgiveness before in this blog, but as Americans look forward to Thanksgiving next week, I found I wanted to write about it again—this time specifically from the side of requesting forgiveness.
In the coming weeks, many people will be gathering with family—some of whom are only seen infrequently. When you're around people with blood ties, but no day-to-day interaction, finding common ground can be tricky. Sometimes even topics you think are "safe" might become contentious. Sometimes old hurts or misunderstandings can rise to the surface, and sometimes the eruption isn't very pretty.
Taking responsibility for your actions can be especially difficult if you feel your actions were actually a REaction to something the other person said or did. It's hard not to figuratively dig in your heels and harden your heart against the person when you feel you are "right". It's hard to acknowledge to yourself that MAYBE you didn't react in the best manner and much easier to claim blamelessness. It's easier to focus on your perspective that the other person attacked you and you were just reacting to the attack, therefore, as the victim, you hold no blame.
To communicate effectively with spirit, it's crucial to maintain a heightened, light vibration. Anger is a negative and lower vibration emotion. Holding onto anger makes it more difficult to connect with the spiritual realm.
God is pretty clear about His perspective on forgiveness throughout the Bible. One of the verses I've recently studied doesn't provide a lot of wiggle room.
When I consider these perspectives and many other sources about forgiveness, the bottom line is that there is no benefit from holding onto anger or resentment—only negative repercussions.
Forgiveness isn't always easy—especially when the actions of the other person were egregious or hurtful and the other person has no remorse for their actions. However, as you gather with family and friends for the upcoming holidays during the next several weeks, I encourage you to consider softening your heart to give and request forgiveness. Giving or receiving forgiveness can help you move beyond heavy energy that is holding you back. Even if the actions of another are "unforgivable", letting go of the hurt will help raise your vibration. The lighter you are, the happier you will be.
Thank you so much for your comment, Lillie! I definitely wrote this as much for myself as I did for all of my readers. I, too, am struggling with forgiveness right now.
Ironically, a miscommunication with a friend over a minor issue necessitated an "I'm Sorry!" on my part today as well. Luckily, this second case was a minor issue, but posting today's blog reminded me to request forgiveness immediately.
Thank you for reading our blog! Much love to you.


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Kristin of BonBon Rose Girls and Carly of Thirty Something Fashion and I shopped Glasses.com's designer-brand sunglasses using its groundbreaking virtual try-on app and here are the styles we chose!
It's been a while but we're back with another Three Stylish Mamas feature! Kristin of BonBon Rose Girls and Carly of Thirty Something Fashion and I shopped designer-brand sunglasses using the groundbreaking Glasses.com virtual try on app.
I was really excited to try this app. It's certainly not the typical eyewear shopping experience but given that you can shop from the comfort of your own, or even on the go, I figured it would be perfect for busy moms.
The instructions are fairly simple. The app asks you to look in a mirror and position the camera on your phone or iPad a few different ways to see you from different angles and measure your face. Your photo is ready almost immediately after to browse hundreds of options and "try them on."
Ultimately I decided on these Burberry sunglasses in the only color glasses.com offers- Eggplant. Shades of purples usually work well for me and it's not a color I already have.
The shipping was quick (Kristin had a difficult experience with the shipping) but they arrived in a different color- Sand. Glasses.com doesn't even offer the style in Sand so I don't know what happened but perhaps the app knows something I don't because I'm happy with my new shades nonetheless. I think they would be fabulous in black too.
The site appears to be working out some kinks but I'm excited to see how the technology is evolving. Being able to try on glasses and sunglasses then immediately purchase them from an app on your phone is a major game-changer. Glasses.com also has a promo going on right now for free lenses with every glasses order.
Be sure to visit Kristin and Carly to read about their experiences and see how they styled their glass.com sunnies.


The attack by al-Shabab militants on Kenya's upscale Westgate mall captured world headlines, as the longest, and possibly most dramatic, terrorist attack in the history of Africa played out over four days.
The incident, being described as Kenya's 9/11, left behind passages strewn with blood. So far, it had been estimated that about 70 people had died and 170 were injured.
What it will mean for the economy is anybody's guess although an educated one would suggest that not even something as horrific as the attack could dim this African rising star.
The Kenyan government this week insisted the attack on Nairobi's largest mall – said to be retribution for recent United Nations-sanctioned Kenyan military action against al-Shabab in Somalia – would not have economic repercussions for a country whose economy grew at 4.3% in 2012 and is expected to grow by 6% in 2013.
"It's an isolated incident … we don't see this having any impact on the economy at all," said Kamau Thugge, the permanent secretary of the Kenyan treasury, on Tuesday.
Kenya is by far the biggest economy in the five-member East African Community and the region, so it has become a dominant force in the region's economic fortunes, said Dianna Games, executive director of Africa@Work and author of Business in Africa: Corporate Insights.
Peter Draper, a senior research fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said "similar attacks" by al-Shabab in Kampala, Uganda in 2010, when suicide bombers targeted crowds in two different places where the Fifa World Cup final was being screened, didn't receive nearly as much media coverage as the attack on the Westgate mall.
Kenya, with its ports and financial trade, is widely regarded as the hub of the region.
It houses the port of Mombasa, with its own railway servicing the region and with other transport and energy infrastructure projects on the way.
"All that is not going to go away," Draper said.
The potential knock-on effect of security problems and instability in Kenya is huge, Games said, noting the disruption caused to other economies by the political turmoil of the 2007 elections in Kenya.
It had a serious effect on the movement of goods throughout the region and resulted in serious fuel shortages.
All the other EAC members except Tanzania are landlocked and Mombasa is the main port for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and even northern Tanzania.
But Games said Kenya's economic dominance and relative economic sophistication also makes it relatively resilient in terms of foreign direct investment, the stock exchange and in other ways that are not specifically linked to logistics.
However, the medium-term implication of the attack is that multinationals, which are increasingly setting up business in Africa, would be cautious about establishing headquarters in Kenya.
"The Somali conflict is not likely to go away in the short and medium term.
In fact, it might get worse given that the Kenyan government is likely to retaliate," Draper said.
South African businesses like Woolworths, SABMiller and Standard Bank were literally caught in the crossfire at the Westgate mall. Woolworths and Standard Bank both have operations in Westgate.
John Fraser, of the Woolworths international department, said all employees were safely evacuated and the retailer is not running for the door.
"We review our investment risk in each African country on an ongoing basis but we do not expect this event to affect our expansion plans in Kenya or East Africa," he said.
The Standard Bank Group has 22 branches in Kenya, where it trades as CfC Stanbic Bank.
Standard Bank said all staff from the branch in the Westgate mall have been accounted for. One employee was injured but has been discharged from hospital.
SABMiller also has a footprint in Kenya and an SABMiller truck was making a delivery at the mall at the time of the attack. The staff managed to get away but the vehicle was left behind.
Kenya is due to issue its debut bond in the next few months on the international capital market, with a $1.5-billion note that will mark Africa's largest maiden sovereign bond, the Financial Times reported this week.
But the attack could force the country to postpone the debut, bankers said, although it is unlikely to derail the interest of foreign investors.
Kenya previously postponed its plans to become the first sub-Saharan country besides South Africa to issue a sovereign bond after political violence in 2007 and 2008.
The central bank governor, Njuguna Ndung'u, told the Financial Times before the attack that the bond was an opportunity to "improve the rating of the country, risk rating and all that".
Thugge said the country would not deviate from its development goals and would continue to roll out infrastructure that has been budgeted for.
The incident has also not affected its ability to service its debt.
Games said Kenya is positioning itself as a port hub to compete with Durban, Dar es Salaam and others.
Major improvements are being made to Mombasa port, including speeding up cargo turnaround times.
Kenya also has plans for a new port in Lamu to the north to serve new markets in South Sudan and Ethiopia and the burgeoning oil industry in northern Kenya.
"We still intend to issue the sovereign bond. It should not affect the growth of the economy which we are expecting to be at 5.5% to 6%," Thugge said.
The Nairobi Stock Exchange grew 21% in the past year and "has been a top performer globally over the past year", Games said.
It remained fairly resilient throughout the attacks with its FTSE NSE 25 index falling just 0.3% to 164.24.
The Kenyan shilling was virtually unchanged during the siege.
But the exchange was dragged down by TPS Eastern Africa, the operator of the Serena chain of hotels and luxury lodges. It was the biggest loser on Wednesday when it dropped 6.25%.
Tourism is a key sector in the Kenyan economy and contributes approximately 12% to total gross domestic product. It is also the country's second-biggest foreign exchange earner.
But Kenya's dependence on the sector is its "Achilles heel economically", said Games.
It is highly susceptible to acts of violence and negative publicity about security. It is bound to take a knock even if other sectors do not.


The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council, as stated in its by-laws, is to serve as "an apostolic vehicle through which a representative body of the people in Saint Christine Parish, in communion with their pastor and with one another, meet to deliberate and resolve in common agreement those matters for which they are responsible and which concern the good of the Church." In short, the Parish Pastoral Council is a communion of persons from the parish concerned with the pastoral mission of the parish. It meets regularly to hear reports from staff and committee heads, and through consensus, to address any problems, concerns and to set the future vision of the parish.
Membership includes the pastor, associate pastor, pastoral associate, principal, director faith formation, and a deacon. It also includes the five committee chairpersons appointed by the pastor, and eleven persons elected by the parishioners for a three-year term, plus two high school youth representatives.
Membership on the Parish Pastoral Council provides an opportunity to participate in a special way in setting the vision of the parish for the future, and in participating in the on-going mission of the parish.
For more information about our Parish Council, please contact Rev. Fr. John Keehner – 330-792-3829 – or by email.


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Home › Our Team
Stefanie – GM
Having spent over a decade in the hospitality industry in London, Stef came to Dubai looking for a change of scenery. A chance encounter with Cafe Rider was all it took for her to come on board and she has since been an instrumental part of keeping the big machine running smoothly. Bit by bit, we're persuading her to get her motorcycle license so we can see her on a bike soon. Don't forget to tell her the same when you see her!
Fav coffee: Can't start the day without an Aeropress.
Narciso – Head Chef
We're very proud of the fact that all our food is made in house in the Cafe Rider kitchen. None of that would be possible without our head chef Narciso. The man is a true wizard when it comes to food and whips up the most delicious dishes with ease. With a quiet smile and an easy manner, the Cafe Rider team have learnt to never underestimate what's hidden up our head chef's sleeves.
Fav coffee – Americano
Fahim – Machine Designer and Fabricator
Having begun in the Cafe Rider workshop as a handy motorcycle mechanic five years ago. Fahim has since graduated to being our chief metal magician and is rarely seen without a welding helmet on his head. From café racers to scramblers, he turns your fantasy bike into reality and is the only person at Cafe Rider who is allowed to have grease under his fingernails. He also lives the lifestyle, regularly commuting on his bratty, patina'd Yamaha café racer.
Fav coffee - Americano
Gideon – Head Roaster
Possessing a natural talent and a highly tuned palate for coffee, it was only a matter of time before Gideon became our head roaster and began running our roastery full time. Few people at the Cafe know coffee better than he does, which makes his advice on the subject invaluable.
Fav coffee – Espresso/Nicky Special
Ruthie - Wholesale Coffee Account Manager
Starting out in 2012 as a barista for a specialty coffee provider in Oakland, CA, Ruthie has moved quickly up the ranks of the coffee world. From barista training and her own coffee cart, to supply chain experience, green bean analysis and production roasting, she's truly done it all. Moving to Dubai in 2021, she dove headfirst into the local coffee scene, and has since become an invaluable part of the Cafe Rider team.
Fav coffee: A different coffee every day - that's the motto.
Ligesh – Accounts
Ligesh - or "Legs" as he is known - is our numbers man. While the rest of the Cafe Rider crew can get carried away with our creative pursuits, Legs keeps us in check, for the most part. At staff parties however, we're the ones keeping him in check.
Chan - Head Barista
Christian, or Chan as he likes to be known, is Cafe Rider's Head Barista. Well known as "the Scientist," within the coffee community, his penchant for tinkering and experimenting with coffee ensures that our coffee menu never goes stale. A friendly face behind the brew bar, he's always happy to offer advice on coffee so don't hesitate to ask him!
Fav coffee - Long Black
Nicky – Owner
After a career in sales at Porsche Dubai, Nicky decided to turn her attention to starting the family business and soon after, Cafe Rider was born. Since then, she has been the driving force behind the Cafe and has been instrumental in its success, while also being a full-time mom to three beautiful daughters.
Fav Coffee – Nicky Special (duh!)
Murtaza – Owner
A financier by day, Murtaza is a die-hard biker and coffee enthusiast. He lived the Cafe Rider lifestyle before it existed and has been integral in shaping the look and feel of the Cafe. He's a modest man, which is why he won't tell you that a large majority of Cafe Rider's early imagery consisted of him modelling on our early builds.
Fav Coffee – Espresso


There are a number of different species of midges, some bite while others don't. The midge in the main photograph appear to be the garden or phantom midge - there are no bloches on the wings. The one with the feathery antennae (top) is the male. The midge sucking blood in the inset photograph had three bloches on each wing.
Some people confuse which midge is the biting one, usually mistakedly seeing fairly large flies as the culprits. The midge in the inset picture that is biting, as it happens the photographer, is no more bigger than a pin head. It is this small size that causes so much trouble as they are not easily seen.
Midges are most active at dusk and dawn, if the weather is dull and wet for a period of time they will attack during the day.
Male midges do not usually bite, it is the female that requires blood which is necessary for her eggs to develop. They detect their prey mostly by smell, carbon dioxide in your breath is one of the attractions.
They have two lancets which pierce the skin, and gorge by sucking on your blood. The midge injects saliva to help increase the flow of blood, this is what causes the itching and allergic reaction. When finished they will secrete a pheremone which informs the other midges in the area that there is a free meal!
To prevent being bitten, advice is to wear long sleeved clothing, this can be difficult on a warm summers evening. One of the ways to prevent being attacked by midges is to try to mask the smell of carbon dioxide. Methods such as "citronella" compounds which is an extract of a grass plant are used. Other compounds containing DEET can also work. Care needs to be taken in their application as they can cause reactions.